Cherish
by SakuraDrops93
Summary: Rin is struck with a deadly illness from a passing storm. Sesshoumaru tends to her each day alongside Jaken, Kohaku, and Ah-Uhn, but is it all really enough? Not knowing what tomorrow may bring, the youkai fights for her life. R&R Please!
1. Chapter 1

"Wow, amazing!" Rin exclaimed as she bent down to take a closer look at the glowing blue flowers on the ground. "These flowers are BEAUTIFUL! Aren't they, Master Jaken?"

The petite demon gave her an annoyed look. "Quit pestering me with such idiotic things, child!" he growled.

"Hm...cranky as always, I see."

"I am NOT cranky!!"

"You are, too!"

Kohaku stepped in between the two and knelt down next to Rin. _They're so noisy. I gotta put an end to their squabbling. _He smiled at her and said, "I think they're really pretty, too, Rin. You know what they're called?"

Rin shook her head. "No...what?"

"Winter blossoms."

"Winter blossoms?"

"That's right." Kohaku picked one from off the ground and examined it. "They're usually only a dull, blue color during any season besides winter and only grow in high hills and mountains. But here's the thing- once winter comes around, they begin to emit some kind of glow like right now."

Rin's eyes widened in great fascination. "Wow!" she gasped. "I never knew! What a unique flower."

Kohaku nodded and handed her the flower. _But it's strange since it hasn't snowed yet. The air is pretty chilly, though. _

Jaken rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Humans are so simple," he spat. "It's almost too sad to watch you two simpletons be allured by a mere 'flower'. It's ridiculous!"

"What none sense goes on here?" a deep voice rumbled dangerously.

All three stood straight on their feet and turned to greet a snow-white youkai heading their way. "Lord Sesshoumaru!" Jaken spoke up. "Err...nothing, my Lord! Just kids being kids, ehehe..."

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. "Keep it down," he grumbled. "I can't meditate with all the ruckus you three are making."

"Forgive me, Lord Sesshoumaru," Kohaku spoke next. "But would you mind telling why you brought us all the way up the Northern Hills?"

"That is none of your business."

"R-right..."

Rin stared dreamily up at Sesshoumaru, her chestnut eyes glittering with admiration. "Ooh..." she awed._ He's probably whiter than snow. His pale skin smooth and flawless, complimenting his silver hair.  
_

Sesshoumaru felt her stare and looked back at her, expression unmoved. "What is it, Rin?" he asked grumpily.

Rin blushed and looked away. "Oh, uhh..." she stammered. "Nothing, my Lord." She looked around her. "Would you like some flowers? I can pick some if you want."

_What a terrible question to ask a demon. _Sesshoumaru turned and began striding down the hill, not giving the slightest hint of a response.

"Was that a yes?" Rin asked Jaken and Kohaku. Both shrugged and so did she. "Oh, well. I'm going to pick those flowers anyway. They make me really happy!" She dismissed herself and went on picking the glowing beauties.

"We have no time for that!" Jaken fussed, waving his staff wildly. "Lord Sesshoumaru is already well on his way!"

"Don't worry, Master Jaken," Kohaku assured him. "You go on ahead with Lord Sesshoumaru. I'll stay here with Rin and keep an eye on her until she's done."

"Are you sure about this, boy?"

"Positive."

Jaken heaved a sigh and caved. "Alright then," he muttered. "Do NOT make me regret this!" He looked at the two-headed dragon resting under a fruitless peach tree. "Let's go, Ah-Uhn!"

"Rrr...." Ah-Uhn snorted and reluctantly followed the imph down the hill.

Kohaku perched himself on a smooth boulder and watched over Rin as she skipped through the field of Winter blossoms. Glowing, blue petals were picked up by the trail of cool breeze that left her as she turned and jumped. He smiled. _If only others' lives were as simple as hers. No worries. Ignorance is bliss after all. _

Rin clutched on tightly to the collection of flowers in one of her hands as she bent down to pick up another blossom. "Ooh, this one's pretty," she giggled. "Lord Sesshoumaru will definitely like it."

This winter blossom was small and delicate, but shone the brightest of all and had a paler shade of blue than the others.

Suddenly, a cold gust of wind combed over the hills, blowing flower petals and tree leaves everywhere. Kohaku covered himself with an arm and shivered as the icy feeling struck him. "This wind-"

_Oh, no- Lord Sesshoumaru's flowers..!_ "Ahh!" Rin squeaked as she lost her balance and fell on the earth.

_Rain is coming. _Kohaku lifted his gaze to the grey skies.

"Ow..." Rin groaned and stood up, rubbing her sore rump. "That really hurt." She blinked and grinned happily. "But at least the flowers are safe. I can still give them to Lord Sesshoumaru!" Something cold and wet brushed past her cheek. "Huh?" She looked ahead and saw Kohaku looking upwards. Curious, she looked the same direction. As if on cue, dozens more raindrops began to fall- until it finally turned into a shower.

"RIN!" Kohaku shouted and ran to her. "Get out of the rain!"

"W-what?!"

Kohaku tried to shield her with his clearly-taller body, but to no avail. The rainstorm was just too much. _No good. _

Thunder boomed.

"Run for it!" Kohaku grabbed her hand and dashed down the hill, trying desperately to find shelter. _If I don't get Rin out of the rain, it'll be really bad. Lord Sesshoumaru will never forgive me if she becomes ill again! _

"Kohaku!" Rin cried. "Let go! You're hurting my hand!"She could feel her kimono instantly getting soaked and attaching to her skin. Her damp bangs fell on her eyes as her long, black hair thinned into watery locks.

Kohaku squinted to clear his vision and spotted a small further ahead. "Shelter!"

"Eh?"

"C'mmon!"

Rin helplessly allowed herself to be jerked into a mad dash for the cave. As soon as they arrived, she took a seat on a small boulder and tried to catch her breath.

Kohaku leaned on a wall, panting as well. _Did I make it in time? _Looking at Rin, his heart fell- she was soaked to the bone.

"What was THAT all about?" Rin asked in an annoyed voice, glaring at the boy.

"I was just trying to get us out of the rain."

"But you didn't need to run in a frenzy like that! I thought my arm was going to fly off!"

"Sorry, but I just had to get us out of the rain as soon as possible!"

"Hmph!" Rin stuck her tongue out at him. _How annoying! ...h-hey! Where are my-? _She looked around, eyes wide in fright. "The winter blossoms!" she wailed. "Oh, no, I must have dropped them!" She stood up and began running towards the opening of the cave.

Kohaku propelled himself from the wall, trying to catch her. "Rin, don't! Get back he-" He froze.

Rin's feet gave way as she wobbled and began descending to the ground. She tried to catch her own fall, but her moist hand slipped from the wall and she hit the ground, her body in a limp. "..."

"RIN!!" Koahku ran over to her and picked her up. "Rin! Rin!"

Rin struggled to open her eyes. "Koha...ku...?" she muttered weakly. Her face was now completely flushed and breathing heavy.

Kohaku placed a hand on her forehead. "You're burning up... Eh, what do I do!?" _Lord Sesshoumaru will surely have my head by his blade! But Rin is... If it keeps going like this... _

Rin closed her eyes and fell into a nauseating slumber.


	2. Chapter 2

Sesshoumaru found himself standing by a rushing river, staring blankly into the mist before him as the rain struck his body. _As long as that half-demon brother of mine has that blade...I cannot cease in wandering around this world, feeling I'm about to lose something important. What is this feeling? _The thought irritated him._Will Tenseiga be taken from me?  
_

"Excuse me, my Lord," Jaken gulped. "But err... Isn't it best we head back now? It's raining awfully hard."

"..."

"Ah...! That is to say umm..."

"Jaken, do not waste my time in sputtering like that. It's annoying."

"I apologize... But, Lord Sesshoumaru, Rin and Kohaku are-"

"LORD SESSHOUMARU!!"

Sesshoumaru and Jaken turned around and found Kohaku running towards them. "What is it?" Sesshoumaru asked coolly when the boy finally made it to talking distance.

Kohaku bent down, panting. "Lord Sesshoumaru," he uttered hoarsely. "R-Rin... She was..caught in the...rai-rain."

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened at this. _Rin. _Without another word said, he made a great leap in search for the young girl. _She won't last long in such a state. I must get to her. _

"Boy, I trusted you!" Jaken scolded. "You know of Rin's condition! Little things like 'rain' could-"

"I know, Master Jaken, I know!" Kohaku fell to his knees, trembling and in the verge of tears. "I'm sorry! I tried my best to get us out in time but... Shelter wasn't close by. I couldn't...make it...didn't..!"

Jaken held his staff tightly, expression cross. _Lord Sesshoumaru must be extremely worried. These humans cause nothing but problems!

* * *

_

Sesshoumaru sniffed the cold air. _No good. The rain has pretty much washed away most of what's left of her scent. _Feeling annoyed, he stopped by a small clearing, inspecting the area. To his luck, he found a cave nearby and entered it. Sure enough, there was Rin- laying on the floor with piles of leaves underneath her.

"Uhn..." she whimpered and winced.

Sesshoumaru walked to her side. "Rin," he called softly.

Rin's eyes slowly fluttered open as she looked up at her master. His presence allowed her a small smile. "...L-Lord...Seh..Sessh...." That smile disappeared, expression now of pain and distress. _No good...my throat hurts too much. _

"Don't waste your energy so carelessly," Sesshoumaru grumbled.

"Why..."

"...?"

"Why is it that...I fall ill so easily?" Tears collected in the corners of the young girl's eyes. "Because of this weak body, I..." She swallowed painfully, her sore throat worsening. "I'm a burden..to you."

Sesshoumaru was slightly caught off-guard by this, but remained stoic. "Stubborn girl," he mumbled, sweeping the bangs from her eyes with his hand. "I told you not to waste your energy. Just rest."

Rin let out another small smile. "I'm sorry," she whispered hoarsely.

_Don't be- you're not at fault here. _The youkai watched as the girl closed her eyes and fell back asleep. He then took a seat beside her and waited for the storm to pass. It was about 2 or 4 hours before that happened. But once it did, he went out in search of any herbs or fresh water.

Some hours after Sesshoumaru's departure, Kohaku and Jaken walked into the cave with Kohaku as the guide. "There, Master Jaken," he said, pointing at Rin's sleeping form.

Jaken tip-toed over to the girl's side and felt her forehead. "My goodness!" he exclaimed in shock. "She is absolutely hot! Her fever is definitely a high one. If we don't get her treatment soon, her illness may worsen. And Lord Sesshoumaru is still nowhere to be found. Oh, this is terrible! He'll have our heads if anything happens to her!"

Kohaku flinched at the short demon's outburst. "Please, Master Jaken," he pleaded. "Don't yell like that..."

"And why NOT!? I have every right to worry- so clam it!"

"Master Jaken..."

Ah-Uhn intervened by jumping between them and hinting towards the outside. The two-headed beast hissed and swung its tail.

Jaken frowned. "What is it, Ah-Uhn?" he demanded. "Can't you see I'm busy here?"

"To busy for me as well, Jaken?" came a low voice from behind.

Jaken jumped in surprise. "M-My Lord!" he squeaked and bowed respectfully to the silver-haired demon. "Pardon my rudeness. I was only..um..." He noticed some plants within his master's hand. "Herbs?"

Sesshoumaru ignored Jaken's remark and knelt down beside Rin. He shook her lightly. "Rin, wake up."

"Hn," Rin groaned sleepily.

"Take this," Sesshoumaru instructed, taking a nut-looking plant and splitting it open. He pressed it to her lips and allowed her to swallow the nutritious liquid. In no time at all, it ran empty. A feeling of emptiness filled his stomach. _Was it enough? _

Rin breathed to ease herself. "It's delicious," she commented quietly.

Sesshoumaru threw the drained plant aside. "Did you have enough to drink?"

"Yes."

"That's good."

Kohaku stepped out of the cave for a moment and looked around the surrounding area. He noticed dark, gray skies looming ahead, flashes of lightning reflecting from its mountainous surface. "Lord Sesshoumaru," he reported in a worried tone. "There's another storm coming. But this time, it's way bigger..and worse. I think it might even be enough to fill the river bank and flood part of this forest."

Jaken scowled. "And the danger in that is?" _We can always build a wall around here or something._

The young lad walked back inside and leaned on a wall. "River demons may arise from all this," he explained. "If the flood waters reach this cave, we're sure to meet trouble. A lot of it." He looked at Rin with sorrowful eyes. "And Rin is in no condition to be moved out of this cave."

"...oh." _And we definitely cannot abandon that useless girl here. Lord Sesshoumaru will not even HEAR of it! _Jaken sighed.

Both looked at the stoic youkai with questioning eyes. "What do we do, Lord Sesshoumaru?" Kohaku finally asked.

Sesshoumaru looked towards the outside world, golden eyes glowing with silent valor. "Let the storm come," was his stolid reply, and not a word more. He turned to Rin, who was already once again fast asleep.

Jaken shuddered. _This aura emitting from Lord Sesshoumaru's body... _His hand gripped his staff tightly. _It's like a barrier that will not allow any intruder to pass through no matter what. This is the first time I've felt such a strong kind of energy come from him. Could Rin possibly be the cause?  
_

"Do you sense it, too, Master Jaken?"

"Eh?" Jaken looked up at Kohaku, who was also looking at the same direction he was. "What are you rambling on about now?"

Kohaku blinked slowly and then closed his eyes. "That energy Lord Sesshoumaru is unconsciously giving off...it's protectiveness. And something else, too, but I can't quite put a finger on it. I've felt it once, but it's such a distant memory..."

Jaken understood and nodded, saving a sarcastic remark or two. "That, boy," he mumbled, "Would be love."

_Love, huh? _Kohaku inhaled, damp air filling his senses. He saw an image of a certain brown-haired young woman- beautiful, brave, loving, strong, and graceful. _Onee-san..._A humble smile formed on his lips. "I bet...she was definitely the one that gave me that feeling."

Thunder bellowed, signifying that rain was not far away now.

Sesshoumaru involuntarily held Rin closer to his body, trying to keep the horrible clamor from reaching her ears. He picked up on the sound of rain hitting the ground which finally turned into a full-blown shower. The sound of the nearby river's waters rising were also detected as well as the gust of wind that shook trees mercilessly here and there.

"Raaauuu...!!" Ah-Uhn growled, suddenly standing alert and eyes full of fury.

Kohaku and Jaken immediately stood guard. "Just as I thought," Kohaku gulped uneasily. "The water IS going to reach us... The demons are coming this way."

"And from the way Ah-Uhn is acting," Jaken added. "There seems to be quite a great number of them."

"Don't worry, Lord Sesshoumaru!" Kohaku assured the silver-haired demon. "Master Jaken and I will hold those demons back! We will not let them get to Rin at all!" _I must protect what Lord Sesshoumaru holds dear. _He brought out his weapons. _Even if it's the cost of my own life! _Much to his shock, the youkai walked past him and Jaken and took the leading position. "...Lord Sesshoumaru..."

"My Lord, what are you doing!?" Jaken sputtered.

"You two," Sesshoumaru began speaking. "Watch over Rin and protect her." He readied his claws, fingers cracking at the force of flexing. "I'LL be the one to extinguish these demons."

"But-" Kohaku tried to protest.

Sesshoumaru shot him a cold glare. "That's an ORDER," he snapped.

He was dead serious.

Jaken knew this, and pulled Kohaku back. "Let's go!" he urged the boy. "We must do as Lord Sesshoumaru says to not get him angry anymore!"

"R-right..." Kohaku, along with Jaken, ran to where Rin was and both surrounded her small form.

Water began spilling into the cave, running past Sesshoumaru's feet. He sniffed the air, the stench of blood and musky breaths entering his nose. _They're coming- and as Jaken said, it's a quite a number. They're drawn by the scent of illness Rin has. _He stood firmly upon seeing a cloud of demons approaching the cave. _They will not get past me no matter what. _

"So many..." Kohaku and Jaken trembled a bit.

Sesshoumaru and Ah-Uhn leaped out of the cave, ready for battle. _I'll make sure of that._


	3. Chapter 3

Sesshoumaru perched himself on a small cliff, his eyes glued on the demons nearing the cave. "Ah-Uhn," he spoke to the dragon. "Stay here and guard this cave well. I will progress on ahead and try to stop them there. If they come anywhere near the cave, don't hold back."

Ah-Uhn nodded, snorting.

One of the demons, a monstrous water serpent with three heads, looked up and smirked. "Heh..." it hissed. "A little dwarf seems to be headed our way."

"Let it!" an ogre-like demon responded. "We demons of the grand river cannot be defeated so easily!"

Sesshoumaru landed right in front of the crowd, expression calm. "Leave," he ordered.

There were about a hundred or more demons before him, all looking down and snickering with glee. "What?" a scaly mermaid with claws for fingers mocked. "Are you, a simple wit, commanding US?"

"Careful, Reyna," another mermaid emerged. "I sense great power within this demon."

"Seeing as to how pretty and delicate-looking this DWARF is," a gray coyote with two tails and white eyes growled. "Tearing him apart will be an easy task." He then looked towards the cave just a few meters away. "And he seems to be guarding something in there! I can smell it..."

"Oh, what is it?" the mermaids asked.

"A human girl."

"My, my! The ill one we all sensed not long ago?"

"Indeed."

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. _So they've confirmed Rin's location. I must stop them at all cost. _He charged and tore at first the demon coyote, killing it in an instant. "Do NOT look past me as if I'm insignificant," he warned the other demons. "Do so, and you will all end up like that pathetic dog."

There was a moment of shocked silence before a bat demon bared its long fangs. "Why, you-!" it screeched, flying towards Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru easily evaded the bat and squashed it with one foot. _Disgusting._

"ATTACK!!!" the three-headed serpent cried.

_How futile. _Sesshoumaru stood his ground firmly as the demons lashed out their attacks- only to meet with his barrier. "Weak physical attacks like that won't work on me," he told them.

As the demons regrouped, one of the mermaids noticed an opening. "Smaller demons come with me!" she piped. "We'll go fetch that human in the cave!" She slithered along the floor, multiple demons trailing right behind. "You, larger demons, keep attacking that youkai!"

Sesshoumaru pulled out his glowing, green energy whip and lashed it at the smaller demons. Unfortunately, he had to jump out of the way as a large tail came down to where he was standing.

"I see," a spider demon cackled. "You cannot attack AND defend at the same time!"

Sesshoumaru grimaced at this. _They've seen the flaw._ He was about to strike with his whip again, but was interrupted when a powerful blast of water came his way. For this, he had to put up a barrier once more.

"Let's go!" The mermaid licked her sharp teeth and continued leading the way to the cave.

"No..."

"Eh?" The large demons glanced at Sesshoumaru, amused. "What are you trying to say, you fool?" they sneered. "You are in no position at all to order us around." One of the demons, appearing to have been more insulted than he others, lunged at the youkai.

Sesshoumaru's eyes began to glow a crimson color. "YOU'RE the fools," he hissed as he whirled around with his whip and swung it at the demons. The powerful counterattack eliminated nearly half of them. "I'm warning you. Do not underestimate me!"

"Exactly who is underestimating whom!?" the demons cried and attacked all at once.

Sesshoumaru readied his whip. _They never listen. _

* * *

The cave shook. Jaken centered the staff in front of him, standing in a defensive position.

"Master Jaken!" Kohaku gasped. "The cave... There seems to be some big battle happening outside. And it's very close. What should we do?"

"Hold fast, brat!" Jaken snapped. "Remember what Lord Sesshoumaru ordered us to do! No matter what happens, we must PROTECT Rin. We cannot leave her side no matter what."

"Y-you mean...we have to defend around her!? But that's-"

"I know- I'm aware of that." Jaken's eyes darkened. _It'll prove to be quite a challenge for me and Kohaku here to act as living barriers. But we must do what we can. Lord Sesshoumaru will not be disregarded so easily! _

Kohaku saw the seriousness on the dwarf-like demon's face. _He's probably thinking the same thing as me. _

From the walls of the cave, Jaken could barely make out the shadows of various demons. "Here they come..!" he trembled slightly. "Stand guard, Kohaku!" A bright flash of light caused him and the boy to flinch. "Oh, my!" He squinted to balance his sight and found the shadows gone. "Th-the demons!?"

Kohaku blinked in surprise as well. "They disappeared..?" _Just like that? _

"You filthy demons," a deep voice hissed.

"Lord Sesshoumaru!" Jaken and Kohaku breathed in relief.

From outside the cave, Sesshoumaru found himself only having to face a remainder of 7 demons. "For this offense," he continued. "I cannot forgive you- you have gone too far." He noticed from their stances that they were about to turn and flee, but quickly pulled out his whip. Making a great leap towards them, he unleashed his wrath. "Now, DIE!"

"Shield the girl!" Jaken cried in a panic.

Kohaku, without hesitance, threw himself at Rin and used his body as a cover. _Stay safe, stay safe... _He closed his eyes and awaited the advent of destruction.

A large explosion happened within the cave. All the demons were annihilated and rocks came crumbling down from the cavern walls. Using what was left of his power, Sesshoumaru gathered everyone in a ball of light and escaped death by a mere second. He lowered everyone by a hill and looked down at the collapsed mess. "..."

Jaken, having found his bearings, dusted himself and approached the forlorn demon. "M'Lord?" he spoke timidly. He noticed his master's stone-cold expression waver for a brief moment, eyes reflecting great dismay. At that moment, he knew it was an ominous sign of some tragic event about to take place.

_There's no shelter. The 'herb' I gave was not enough._ Sesshoumaru's eyes darkened. _At this rate, Rin will surely... _

"Lord Sesshoumaru."

Sesshoumaru and Jaken turned their heads towards Kohaku, who was holding Rin with a worried look on his face. He looked up at them, tears visible in his eyes. "R-Rin..." he choked. "She...she's not waking up..."


	4. Chapter 4

"She's not waking up...!"

Those words rang in Sesshoumaru's ears like a loud clangor. He left his spot in a hurry and rematerialized by Rin's side. He touched her forehead, frowning at the hot feeling beneath his large hand. Snatching his hand away he said, "Her health is getting worse."

Kohaku shook Rin lightly, his worry becoming more evident. "Rin," he called softly. "Rin, wake up. Please."

"..." Rin seemed to stir a bit, but it looked like an hallucination. Her eyes remained closed, her body in a slump within Kohaku's arms. Stands of her bangs fell over her flushed face.

Jaken bowed his head and approached the trio. _This human...she's such a pest. But why, HOW, is she making us feel so much sadness? And filling my master with so much regret? _He looked at the youkai. _I know it well enough. _

_No, I'm not finished here... _As though done by some miracle, Rin awoke. She blankly gazed into the eyes of her guardians and whispered, "...Lord Sesshoumaru..."

Sesshoumaru turned to her. "..."

"I want to see them," Rin coughed. "The flowers. Please, can I see them?"

"You fool," Jaken scolded in a surprisingly gently way. "You're ill, hardly have the strength to wake up, and can't even talk properly. Yet you wish to travel to some place of that distance? You're ridiculous. Allow yourself to rest at least!" Before he could say another wors, a pale hand was placed in front him; signifying a stop to his lecture. He looked and found that it belonged to none other than Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru nodded. "I understand," he breathed. "I'll take you to see those flowers."

A grave atmosphere fell about the group. Never before had Sesshoumaru complied to Rin's, or anyone's, requests so easily. Better yet so quickly. It was an act of understanding and kindness; it frightened Kohaku and Jaken. Kohaku lowered his head, unable to bear the pain in his chest. He knew why the youkai had complied.

"Kohaku-"

"I'm not going," the boy interrupted the silver demon. "I refuse." _I don't want to see her anymore. Not like this._

Sesshoumaru was not surprised at this response. He pretty much expected it. Without another word, he took Rin from Kohaku's arms and turned to Jaken. "Stay here with Kohaku," he told the green servant. "I'll tend to this myself."

Jaken, though reluctantly, nodded. "Of course, m'Lord," he uttered.

Ah-Uhn let out a low growl and settled itself on the mound it sat on. "Rrr...."

"...?" Rin looked back at them, letting out a smile. "Goodbye Master Jaken, Ah-Uhn." Her eyes found Kohaku, his back turned to her. "Goodbye...Kohaku."

"Gih...!" Kohaku choked, grasping his own arm. _I'm sorry, Rin. _

Rin's eyes saddened at not having received a response from the boy. However, in her heart, she forgave him. In this sense, she hated herself for giving him such hurtful emotions. She held back the urge to cry and only smiled even more. "I'll see you later then."

_Rin..._

Sesshoumaru vanished in a gust of wind, along with Rin.

"Ugh!" Kohaku struck the ground with his fist, hot tears rolling down his cheeks. _You really are an idiot. _"Arrrgghhh!!!" he cried in anguish and punched away at a rock, ignoring the pain inflicted on his knuckles. Blood now leaked from them, but he didn't care. _This is the last time you and I will ever meet._

With lightning speed, he jumped through the trees, expertly avoiding branches along the way. He then made a great jump across the river and headed for the hills. _If I remember correctly...it should be here. _A dim glow of sapphire from a distant hill caught his golden eyes. _There. _He quickly made his way to the glow. Sure enough, the blue flowers Rin adored lay before him in a damp heap. To his amazement, they were not wilted from the rain.

"Lord Sesshoumaru," Rin tugged at his sleeve weakly. "I...I want to see the flowers."

"Uhn." Sesshoumaru made an attempt to carry her over to the plants, but he felt a tug on his sleeve again. He looked down.

Rin shook her head. "I can...walk by myself," she told him. "Really."

Sesshoumaru's brows furrowed at this. "Are you sure?" he asked. He received a nod. Sighing, he carefully set her down. _You pathetic little girl; you're lying. _He gave her a gentle push to start her on her feet. "Don't fall."

Rin shakily waddled towards the flowers, her breathing becoming heavier each minute. When she reached them, se fought the urge to collapse. _Strange...my body suddenly feels very heavy. But I can't falter! _Putting on her best smile, she bent down to pick up one of the flowers. This flower she held was the one that glowed the brightest, its blue light reflecting in her brown eyes. "Winter blossoms," she sighed in contentment. "They're so beautiful, aren't they, Lord Sesshoumaru?"

"...hn."

"I wish there were more of them."

"Why is that?"

"So that everyone can...enjoy them...as well." _It's no use. _Rin felt as though her head had just spun a full 360. Dazed and vision in a dark blur, her feet gave way and she fell to the ground.

"Rin!" Sesshoumaru leapt to where she was and picked her up. "Rin!" he called again, shaking her as gently as he could.

Rin weakly held the flower to her master's nose, giggling a bit. "Lord Sesshoumaru," she said. "It smells so nice."

"..." Before he could respond, he was caught off guard by a sudden embrace from the little girl. His eyes widened in shock. "Wh-what are you-" He felt her small arms tighten around his neck and some wet drops fall on his shoulder and back.

_I cried in the end. _Rin bit her lower lip. "I'm sorry for being such a bother, Lord Sesshoumaru," she sniffed.

Sesshoumaru shook his head, giving her a pat on the back. "Don't waste your energy on saying such ridiculous things," he chastised. The next sentence made his heart feel heavy and caused his eyes and throat to burn. "...go ahead and sleep now."

A faint smile graced Rin's lips as tears continued to flow from her half-open eyes. "Lord Sesshoumaru."

"Hm...?"

"I...love you."

Sesshoumaru felt a sudden jerk in his chest as she said this. He nearly choked from the pain, gritting his teeth. _Why did you say that? _His hand shook slightly as he tried giving her another pat on the back.

"Always." With that final word, Rin closed her eyes and exhaled softly. Her arms that once wrapped around the youkai's neck now fell limp about his broad shoulders.

_At last... _Sesshomaru was speechless. _I can't hear her heartbeat anymore. _His lone arm encircled Rin's small body as he buried his face in her soft, dark hair. "Such a weak, insignificant human," he murmured. "You, who gets hurt with a single word..." Something moist and warm fell from his eyes as he closed them. "Taught me what true loneliness is."


End file.
